The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-12-02
A visit to.a Dead Portuxaese 0isyinE

After a frugal breakfast. I engaged
bullock cart for the four miles aud 7
half to the town or fort Of old Dasscin.
There arc no springs to the typical
bullock cart and YOUR best position Is to
sit aat ON tho bottom of the c0ntrfvance.
IL you have a tuft Of hay for q cushion,
that is clear gain. My two little bull.
locks started off in frisky style, and
in an hour l was within tho narrow and
winding streets of the town which has
crown up outside tho old one, and yet
must have had its beginnings even
during the existence of tho original
Bassein. The scenery from the station
to Basscin proper is charming, and I
thoroughly enjoyed it Notwithstanding
the many aud almost dislocating
motions Of the cart. Fields of rice and
various other. grain stretch out on
either hand. Here and there was .
pond. which was all radiant with the
sacred lotus in full flower and fra-
rance. Ono of the most conspicuous
Objects on getting fairly into the
village was a ruined church. Its walls
and roof were entire, but it was In
wretched condition. Its windows
were q curiosity. the first I had seen
in India where tho panes were OF the
pearl-oystcr shell, cut thin, and about
an inch and a half square. This was
the Portuguese window. The labor Of
making great windows of such small
pieces Of shell neatly cut and smoothcd
must haze been immense. even for one
building. At least one-half the light
was INSTRUCTED by tho shell strata,
and when one adds to this the wooden
framing for the shells, there must have
been a considerable addition to the
semi-opaqueness. But then this 10
India, and it is always a study to keep
out the glare of the sun.
soon left tho town behind, and
came upon a rising ground bya wind.
ing road, through q thick grove Of
mango and peepul trees. Off to the
left stood tho grim ruins of the old
fort. / had now crossed the bridge,
and SO had passed upon the island Of
Basscin, which is about four miles
long and two miles broad. This,
nearly three centuries ago, was q very
paradise of Portuguese enterprise and
luxury on the one hand, and of Jesuit
worldly wisdom on tho other. Any
way that l might turn brought me face
to face with some vast ruined cathedral
Now it was only tho bare walls With
out ceiling or roof, and then I found
myself walking over tho marble slabs,
with ncsrlysetfaccd Inscriptions. which
covered tho dust of Portuguese CO.
clesiastics and fidalgos. The dead
undcrlay the entire nave and choir Of
the church. Some Of the towers
leaned at threatening angles. and yet
in several cases it seemed safe enough
to climb to the top of the wall aud
overlook this weird scene of ruin.
There were arches which rose in
graceful curves from one side of the
portal to tho other. Yet at the key
stono there was a depression in many
instances which made it the part Of
wisdom not to linger directly in the
neighborhood of any of them. Oc-
casionally the central part of the wall
had fallen outright, and left the jagged
ends of the ruin on either hand.
Great pains had been taken to orna-
mcnt the choir. Here was an elabor-
ate sculpture, only fragments of which
could be seen in scattered pcdiments
| and capitals, and bits of carved shafts
themselves. Where the walls had
been less disturbed by the ravages Of
war, and the elements. there still re-
manned tablets in memory of ccclesias-
tic or civil officers whose lamp of life
had gone out here, far away from the
dear old Portugal which they left be-
hind, but hoped in every case to see
again and die beneath the Western
sun.-BisAop Nars., IN Harpcr's Aaga-